Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Great City Lutran
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The journey was far more comfortable than Yuri had feared.
Ha-ryeong handled the driving, and at mealtimes, they ate preserved rations from the travel bag inside the carriage or game that Ha-ryeong had hunted.
They slept outside. Elena said it was fine for Yuri to sleep in the carriage, but he absolutely refused.
In the end, Elena gave in to his stubbornness and pulled out a large sleeping bag from the travel bag for him to use. It was so big that it clearly couldn't fit back inside without magic, so Yuri figured the bag must be enchanted.
Ha-ryeong, as his bodyguard, naturally slept outside too. Before night fully fell, she set up various precautions around the carriage and then lay down in the driver's seat, sleeping efficiently.
Yuri spread his sleeping bag right next to the carriage. The crackling campfire, the star-filled night sky, the sounds of the forest that weren't exactly quiet.
The first night, too many things kept him awake, but from the second night on, he slept fine.
"I heard you were childhood friends."
Ha-ryeong spoke up out of the blue on the third night. Like the night before, she was sitting in the driver's seat inspecting her dagger when she glanced at Yuri.
"You don't seem that close. Am I imagining it?"
"That's how it actually is."
She didn't seem like someone to speak casually to, so he used polite speech.
"Childhood friends or not, we only exchanged letters for ten years."
"That's still enough to make you follow her so obediently."
"I said I didn't want to go, but she wouldn't listen."
"Her stubbornness is one of Miss Elena's many flaws."
With her mask down, Ha-ryeong's face was still impassive. She twirled the sharp blade of her dagger as she continued.
"I heard you were with the Black Snake Gang?"
"It was like a trash bin full of neighborhood trash."
"So that makes you trash too, Mr. Yuri?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
Yuri answered with a blank expression.
"You must have some idea of my situation, right, Miss Ha-ryeong?"
"Of course I do. When Miss Elena suddenly said she was going to Oldor, as her bodyguard, I had to look into it properly. If there's a good reason to go, I have no choice but to follow. If not, I advise her to reconsider—that's the bodyguard's role."
"And your judgment was that there was a good reason?"
"Yes."
Ha-ryeong set down her dagger and nodded.
"Generously, ten days at most, a week if quick. No real dangers on the way, and she couldn't bear it because she was worried about a childhood friend who barely survived with his life. That's enough for me to say, 'I understand,' and go along."
"Elena was that worried about me?"
"Amusingly enough, yes."
She said that, but there wasn't a hint of a smile on Ha-ryeong's face.
"Honestly, it wasn't entirely convincing. If she was that worried, she could've just kept him by her side instead of exchanging letters."
"..."
"So now it looks like she's planning to do just that."
Ha-ryeong muttered as she glanced at the carriage. No sounds came from inside. But Ha-ryeong knew Elena wasn't asleep and was listening to their conversation.
"This is as your bodyguard."
Ha-ryeong tilted her head slightly, staring at Yuri.
"What do you think of Miss Elena, Mr. Yuri?"
"I don't know what you're getting at."
"Miss Elena is greater than you think. Becoming a 4th Tier mage at 20 is fast even in a magic tower full of geniuses, and as you heard yesterday, the Lord of Derusia Magic Tower has her marked as one of her disciple candidates."
Elena's talent was exceptional.
In the game, levels went up to 99, but in this world, realms were divided not by levels but by 'tiers.'
The gods determined them: the sleeping Goddess of Order, the God of Chaos who kidnapped possessors and scattered them into the world, and various other gods. They divided the tiers of lower beings trapped in the mortal coil in the lower world.
Reach the end at 10th Tier, and you could shed the mortal coil and challenge for divinity—but no one in this world had reached 10th Tier yet. Maybe someone had, but Yuri had no such knowledge. What the Black Snake Gang's Yuri knew was just basic common sense.
"Is 4th Tier that impressive?"
"That's a foolish thing to say."
Ha-ryeong shook her head and continued.
"It's magic, but you need 2nd Tier to be recognized as a proper mage. It takes an average person five years to reach 2nd Tier, about ten more to hit 3rd."
"Elena's not average."
"Of course not. The moment Miss Elena entered the magic tower and seriously started learning magic, she reached 2nd Tier, and in ten years, 4th Tier. A genius is a genius."
Yuri didn't answer right away and glared at Ha-ryeong. The campfire blazed brightly, and a round moon hung in the night sky. Even so, Ha-ryeong in the driver's seat was hard to make out. She seemed wrapped in the night's darkness like a blanket.
"I'm Miss Elena's bodyguard. Protecting isn't just from death's dangers. It's from danger itself."
"You're really loyal. Is everyone from the Killing Guard Sect like that?"
"Once we sign a contract for pay, we offer absolute loyalty until the term ends. That's the Killing Guard Sect."
"So you're saying I'm a danger to Elena?"
"You're no physical threat, but morally, maybe. And Miss Elena gave up something big to come here—bigger than you think."
"Gave up?"
"I can't spill the client's details. She doesn't seem eager to share either."
Yuri furrowed his brow and glared at Ha-ryeong. He didn't know what Elena gave up, but her implication was blatant—no interpretation needed.
In other words, she didn't want a guy like Yuri hanging around Elena.
'Sigh.'
He swallowed his irritation.
'This fucking bitch.'
He swallowed the curse.
'Did I beg to come along? I said I was dragged here, so why's she bitching at me?'
He kept swallowing.
'Acting all assassin-like, fucking hell, if only...'
If only, but he couldn't do shit. Against a Killing Guard Sect member and Elena's bodyguard, ten Yuris wouldn't stand a chance.
"I think so too."
Yuri replied with a blank expression.
"That's why I told her not to send letters and tried to keep my distance. But Elena doesn't want that. So here I am, dragged along."
Ha-ryeong stared at him silently. Yuri met her emotionless gaze and continued.
"So, I'll do my best from now on."
"Do your best?"
Ha-ryeong tilted her head.
'Yeah, you bastard. I'll do my best.'
Yuri composed his expression.
"Yes. Elena's taking such good care of me just because we're 'childhood friends.' If I keep acting like trash, it'll be a burden on her. Ruin her reputation too."
"Hmm..."
"I get what you're worried about, Miss Ha-ryeong, but I won't drag Elena down."
Of course he wouldn't. At least until he could stand on his own, his goal was to avoid staining Elena or those around her.
"If you say so."
Ha-ryeong didn't press further. She thought of Elena, who was still awake and listening.
'Forcing them apart would just make it explode.'
That would ruin her bodyguard duty. Ha-ryeong judged and nodded slightly.
"Don't take it too badly."
"I'm not."
"As thanks, an interesting tidbit: Miss Elena has her ear to the door, eavesdropping on us."
Bang! The carriage door flew open. Unlike the white dress from the first day, Elena wore a comfortable robe and yelled.
"Who's eavesdropping?"
"You were."
"I could hear...!"
"By my standards, Mr. Yuri's answer wasn't great. I'd give it 60 points. If you'd said you were close friends with Miss Elena at the start, she'd have been satisfied."
"Shut up with the nonsense."
Sparks crackled around Elena. Ha-ryeong shook her head.
"Showing emotions so openly is a bad habit."
"I agree."
Yuri nodded along. Elena's shoulders trembled, then she sighed deeply and plopped down on the carriage steps.
"If you're not sleeping, why not travel now?"
"Even spirit-rest pills aren't miracles. After running all day, the horses need rest at night."
"Sigh."
Seeing the usually prickly, ill-tempered Elena get handled by Ha-ryeong was pretty amusing. When Yuri snickered, Elena whipped her head around.
"What's so funny?"
"Just in a good mood from the night."
He brushed it off.
"What did you give up?"
Ha-ryeong's words nagged at him. He asked, but Elena answered calmly, without flinching.
"Nothing."
And the conversation ended.
They passed a few villages and cities after, but only stayed in a proper inn once—when a village happened to be nearby at nightfall.
Spending a whole week in the same carriage with Elena all day had been his biggest worry, but surprisingly, it was bearable. Elena didn't talk much and spent most of the time reading.
"Read some too."
Unable to circulate energy, he was bored stiff, but Elena kept handing him books, which helped.
[Fundamentals of Magic]
Unlike the book Yuri had, this was a proper magic tome.
"There's no rule saying martial artists can't use magic. Read it for later."
"I can't even do one properly, and you want me to do both?"
"You might change your mind later."
He didn't refuse her stubborn push.
'Oh...'
Far easier to read than the vague nonsense ones. True to its title [Fundamentals of Magic], it didn't teach spells themselves. It covered the foundations for magic: understanding mana, handling it, guiding it into the body.
Yuri instinctively understood mana and had the Heavenly Principle Annihilating Evil Art. So he felt the lack of basics keenly—this book was welcome.
'Can't test it though.'
Even with the Veil of Deception, circulating energy in front of Elena would be insane. So Yuri reread [Fundamentals of Magic] repeatedly.
Their occasional chats were more enjoyable than expected.
"How many higher-tier mages are at Derusia Magic Tower than you?"
"Not many. But I'm the only 4th Tier at 20."
"What about the other disciple candidates competing with you?"
"One 5th Tier, one 4th. Both older than me. The 4th is a senior named Arrist, 23. She hit 4th at 21."
"You're a year faster."
Elena’s lip twitched whenever he chimed in like that—it was fun to watch.
"Honestly, I don't see Arrist as real competition. Bad personality, and well, she's not much ahead of me now."
"The other senior?"
"Senior Reisi? Him... he's worthy of respect. That's why I have to watch him more. 5th Tier at 27 is faster than even the Tower Lord. Insane."
Saying that, Elena glanced toward Ha-ryeong in the driver's seat.
"Speak freely. You think I'd spread Miss Elena's gossip outside?"
"Ahem..."
Elena cleared her throat lowly and leaned toward Yuri.
"Maybe... Senior Reisi could be a possessor."
Whoa, close call. A bell rang in his head, but Yuri just furrowed his brow slightly.
"A possessor?"
"Yeah. 5th Tier at 27!"
"You're 4th at 20."
"That's..."
"Senior Reisi might be a genius like you."
He didn't want to dig deeper.
"Like me..."
Elena mulled it over, smoothed her expression, and sat up straight.
"Yeah, probably. Possessors aren't common."
"What's the Tower Lord's tier?"
"You really know nothing?"
"Someone has to tell me."
"I don't know exactly either. Higher tiers inherently show status differences, so they're not advertised. But this much: minimum to become Tower Lord is 7th Tier."
After 30 years, Heavenly Thunder Orca might be 8th Tier.
'Level 81 in the game.'
Minimum spec to challenge hidden boss Evil God was 99. You couldn't just brute-force with levels; you built around them.
So was 99 level 10th Tier?
'No.'
Such guesses were dangerous. Lorellia's advice: don't force game knowledge onto reality. The God of Chaos, a hidden boss in the game, had no level anyway.
"Aren't you more curious about martial artists than mages, Yuri?"
"I know the Demonic Cult's Heavenly Demon is 8th Tier or higher."
"Probably higher. Ha-ryeong, what do you think?"
"I think the Heavenly Demon is above 8th Tier too."
Ha-ryeong from the driver's seat replied.
"The Demonic Cult is a bunch of lunatics united to ascend to divinity through demonic paths. The strongest among them is the Heavenly Demon, closest to godhood, so he calls himself cult leader. That's why it's the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult."
"Isn't the Killing Guard Sect under the Black Dragon Society?"
"Black Dao and Demonic Path are different. Not just a slight difference—they're completely distinct. No one in the Black Dao openly declares 'I'm the cult leader, worship me, I'll become a god someday' like a lunatic."
Yuri, or Lee Soo-hyuk, knew about the Heavenly Demon well.
The game's final boss was the Heavenly Demon. Level 95. Dropped nothing no matter how many times killed, instant GAME OVER back to title screen—total bastard.
"Don't get involved with the Demonic Path. That's the Black Dragon Society's unwritten rule. The Righteous Heavenly Alliance talks about exterminating them but won't touch the Demonic Cult's stronghold, Subduing Demon Hall."
"Isn't Ludelra Magic Tower in Subduing Demon Hall?"
"Miss Elena, comparing martial artists and mages like that is one of your many flaws. So you'll hang out with Ludelra mages? I doubt you'd even share a restaurant with them."
Ha-ryeong won this round too. Elena pouted silently, and Ha-ryeong continued as if expected.
"I don't want to deal with Ludelra either. But if they hire us, no choice."
"You take requests from Ludelra too?"
"If they have money and qualify, yes. That's our Killing Guard Sect's value. But they won't hire us. Why use us when they can use Demonic Cult fiends?"
As they talked, the carriage stopped.
"We've arrived."
The week-long journey ended.
Lutran, the great city incomparable to Oldor.
The city Elena had described multiple times in her initial letter.